An Aeris Story
by LeMistressV
Summary: Chapter 5 finally up! Final Fantasy VII in Aeris's POV. Bleh, the summary sounds so crappy. Please RnR.
1. Default Chapter

An Aeris Story ~ My Version

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, so please don't sue, and please don't flame.

Note: I would like to inform the reader(s) that this may not exactly be what had happened in the very game itself, for example, there may have been a part that was suppose to be in a later scene, or something like that! Nor does it have the exact same conversations in the original one. But this is _my version and point of view of things. It's my version! You don't like it? TOUGH!! I can write whatever I want in this fan fic, so stop complaining! Happy readingsJ!!_

Chapter 1 

I looked up at the sky slowly. It appeared that it was going to rain again. It always does. Every single day in this miserable place. This place called Midgar…

I hastily gathered my flower basket and headed for my house at sector six. I sighed as I walked, knowing it would be a long walk from here to my house. But I put that thought aside, knowing there were other things to worry about. I tightly gripped my metal staff in my hand as I walked.

The roads here in Midgar were never safe. Some moron could run you over and they wouldn't care. Gangs could come up from all directions and attack a person passing by. It didn't matter if you were poor or rich. Male or female. Married and older women were always attacked and harassed all the time. The tougher women, though, were left alone. But the younger girls…

I shivered at the thought. I wasn't married or tough enough to be left alone. I had always feared to be one of those girls. I had never agreed to live in this place. I never had a choice. My mother died at the train station here in Midgar when I was only about six. I had no place to go then, until my step mom, Elmyra, took me in.

As little drops of rain began to fall from the sky, I hastened my pace. Elmyra would make a big fuss over my wet garments. And she would surely scold me for being late and being out in the rain.

I kept on walking, but then made an abrupt stop as I waited for the traffic sign to say "walk". But as I did so, someone bumped into me, knocking me down onto the floor. I sat there for a second, then hurried to pick up my basket. As I did so, a young gentleman helped me up and asked me if I was alright.

I nodded, smiling gratefully to him. "I'm alright, I guess. Is something happening?" I asked curiously in spite of myself.

"No, nothing's wrong. You should go now, before I delay you any longer," he said moving out of my way. Before he left though, he glanced at my flower basket. "You don't see many of them here."

I fished into my basket and took out a sky blue flower. "Here," I said handing it to him. "They're one gil. Would you like to by one?"

He stared at the flower in my hand and nodded. He then shuffled in his pockets, looking for a gil. After a short moment, he handed me the gil and took the flower from my hand. He then left as if in a hurry, leaving me behind.

I stared at the gil in my hand, and then after a moment, I stuffed it in my pocket. I then crossed the street in a run, as heavy rain began to fall. After a long moment, I finally reached my house. I stopped to catch my breath before entering. As I entered, a woman in her late thirties greeted me.

But as she glimpsed at me again, she turned her smile into a frown. "Aeris, what did I tell you before?" she scolded with her lips pursed.

I took a look at myself and blushed. I was soaking wet from the rain. "Sorry, mom. I was just delayed, that's all," I answered cheerfully, putting my basket aside on the table.

"Well get out of those wet clothes and get ready for dinner. You've been out so long."

I obeyed obediently. I then ran to the bathroom, took a quick shower, then changed into something dry. After I was finished drying my hair, I walked towards the living room.

Elmyra had her back turned to me as she ate her dinner. "You were at that old church again, weren't you?" she asked as I took a seat in front of her.

I nodded. "I like it there. It's the only place in Midgar that's quiet. Every other place has some kind of commotion going on. I like it there because I can actually think," I answered, slowly stirring my soup. I fished a spoonful in my mouth and made a face. Elmyra had never been a good cook, and plus, the food here in Midgar was usually rotten.

Elmyra glanced at me. "Don't make faces when you're eating. And I don't like you going to that church all the time."

I looked puzzled. "Why not? It's perfectly safe in there," I answered.

"How would you know for sure? Listen, Aeris, I know you love it there, but I'm just worried about you. I don't want you going there all alone. And besides, it's a long road from here to there," she pointed out to me with a concerned look.

I began to protest, saying, "But I've been going there ever since I got here. Mom, I'm twenty–two years old now. I can take care of myself."

Elmyra sighed reluctantly. "Alright, you can go. But I want you to get a bodyguard for yourself. I don't want you roaming the streets by yourself, understood?" she asked.

I nodded happily. "Thanks, mom," I said gratefully.

Elmyra nodded, but said nothing. It was obvious that she didn't approve of this, but intended not to treat me like a child anymore.

*

Sephiroth…? Life Stream…? Cetra…Those were names I once knew. Names I somehow always have in my thoughts. I have no clue on who or how I know these names from. I look back to my past, yet I cannot remember what they are.

I lay awake in my bed, thinking things over. I wasn't like other people. I wasn't normal at all. People had always been after me for some reason. Yet I tried to hide my powers, fearing what would happen to me. Somehow, I felt alone. Like no one understood anything I felt. The people who were after me didn't care about my feelings. All they wanted were my powers and me.

As I thought all of this over, I finally fell asleep.


	2. 

Chapter 2

A couple of days passed when I finally was able to go back to the old church. With a sigh of relief, I skipped my way to it. I walked towards the very center of the church, where a flowerbed was located.

Fortunately, the flowers had not died out.

Slowly and carefully, I stooped down to them and began to whisper to them. I knew that it was strange to talk to a bunch of silly flowers, but I had no one else. I had no friends at all.

Suddenly, the roof crashed.

I looked up startled, and saw the roof coming down at me. But then, as I closed my eyes to wait for my death, a strange light surrounded me, and shielded me from the falling roof.

When I reopened my eyes, I saw the same young man who had bought the flower from me lying on the flowerbed. It appeared that he was unconscious. He must have fallen from the roof.

I watched as he moved, attempting to get up. "Oh! It moved," I exclaimed excitedly. "Hey, are you alright?"

"Yeah."

"Can you get up?"

"I guess so." The young man finally opened his eyes and looked at me. "You. You're that flower girl from the slums," he said as he saw me.

I backed away, giving him room to stand. I watched him carefully, saying nothing.

He looked around the room as he got up. "Where am I? How did I survive?" he asked.

"You fell from the roof. Luckily you fell onto the flowerbed," I answered, studying his face. Then I smiled. "I'm Aeris Gainsborough," I finally said introducing myself. "I was here when the roof fell on me. It gave me a real scare."

The young man finally realized where he had fallen and blushed. "I'm sorry," he apologized, looking at the ruined flowers.

I shook my head. "It's alright," I answered beginning to water the plants.

It appeared that the young man was studying the flowers carefully. "You don't see many flowers around here do you? Why do flowers grow here?" he asked curiously.

I continued to water the plants. "I guess because this place is…special," I answered hesitantly. "Do you happen to have any Materia?"

"Yeah. Do you?"

I finally looked up with interest. "I do. I have some myself, but they're useless," I responded carefully. I turned my back towards him. "Wait for a moment, okay?" I asked him as I continued to tend to the plants. After I was finished, I looked at him. "I want to hire you," I said without thinking. "I want to hire you for my bodyguard."

He looked at me and frowned. "It's gonna cost you," he answered.

I thought for a moment. "Well, I don't have any money, so…I'll go out with you on one date if you'll be my bodyguard," I said cheerfully.

He thought about this for a moment. "Well, alright. I'll be your new bodyguard. I'm Cloud," he answered with a shrug.

Before I could say anything more, someone interrupted us.

"Well isn't this touching," a Turk said. His hair was a dark color of red, and he was dressed in black.

~_And to think good guys wear black,~ I thought in my head as I recognized his face._

"I'm Reno of the Turks. I'm here to get you, Miss Gainsborough."

Cloud looked at me. "Turks. Do you know them?" he asked.

I nodded my head. "They're usually bothering me. I think we should get out of here," I suggested in a whisper so only he could hear.

Cloud unsheathed his sword as Reno and the rest came closer to me.

"Wait! Don't fight in here! You'll ruin the flowers," I cried out, running as fast as I could, as I led Cloud towards the back of the church. We had almost reached the top, but then Reno and a bunch of Shinra soldiers caught up with us.

Cloud leaped through a big gap, and landed on his feet. "C'mon!" he called to me in a hurry. "Jump!"

I looked at him as if as if he were crazy. I had never been the athletic type before, and my skirt would probably trip me if I tried to jump. But I pushed those thoughts aside, scolding myself for being such a coward. Then, closing my eyes, I prepared to jump. But before I could, I felt a bullet zooming past me. In shock, I stumbled down and fell to the floor.

As I fell, two Shinra soldiers came towards me, pointing their guns at me.

I cringed on the wall, fearfully. "What should I do!?" I cried out to Cloud.

"Hold on!" he cried out to me.

I waited for a moment, taking out my staff to get the soldier away.

The two soldiers cried out, as a barrel dropped on them.

I took this very opportunity to run for my life. But as I tried, another pair of soldiers blocked my path. But like what happened last time, a barrel dropped on them, knocking them unconscious. Barrels dropped several times on the soldiers, until they all got out of my way.

Cloud and I sat on the church roof for a moment, watching the befuddled soldiers.

I laughed. "They're after me again."

"You know them? Why are they after you?"

"Is it that bad?"

"They're the Turks. They're involved in murder, kidnapping, and all that other dirty stuff," Cloud informed.

"I think they think I have what it takes to be in SOLDIER," I joked, while giggling.

Cloud grinned at my humor, making me blush slightly. "Come on," he said, jumping towards a pile of junk. I followed close by.

"Wait!" I cried out trying to catch up to him as I hopped off from piles of rubble and trash. "I said wait!"

Finally, the young man stopped and let me catch my breath before moving on. "I thought you said you had what it takes to be in SOLDIER?" he teased.

"Oh you're terrible!" I cried out, laughing at his sense of humor.

We walked in silence for a while, until we got to the entrance of sector seven. Cloud suddenly made a stop as he saw a chocobo dragging a carriage with a woman riding in it.

I watched the chocobo go by and frowned at Cloud. "What's wrong?" I asked.

Cloud shook his head. "Nothing…"

I doubted it. But I said nothing, not wanting to pry into his business. I looked up at the old slide I stood in front of. "I haven't been here in ages," I said climbing onto the top of the slide.

Cloud followed, sitting next to me. "I think we should go now. Where _do you live anyway?" he asked me._

"At sector six," I answered. "I hope its not much trouble."

Cloud slid off the slide, and I followed. We headed towards sector six in silence. When we finally got there, we stopped at a nearby house to check on a sick man.

I looked at him pitifully. He couldn't understand a word we said. I studied him carefully. He had a peculiar tattoo on him. It held the number three on it. After spending a moment talking to him, we both arrived at my house.

I slowly opened the door to my house. "Mom, I'm home!" I called out.

"Aeris, is that you?" Elmyra asked walking down the stairs. She frowned as she saw Cloud standing next to me.

"This is Cloud," I said introducing him. "He's my new bodyguard."

At this Elmyra smiled. "Is that so? Will you be staying for dinner, Cloud?" she asked kindly.

Cloud shrugged. "I guess. But I'll be on my way to sector seven. I have to find out where Tifa went," he answered.

"Tifa? Was that the girl in that carriage?" I grinned wickedly. "Is she your girlfriend?" I teased.

Cloud blushed. "I guess," he mumbled.

"You'll go to find her the first thing in the morning. But now you'll have to rest," Elmyra said. "Aeris, make a bed for Cloud, will you?"

I nodded, walking up the stairs. But I stayed at the top step, hidden from the wall. I knew Elmyra would be saying anything to get me away. _~She probably wants a word with Cloud,~ I thought silently to myself._

I was right, as I heard Elmyra's voice in a low whisper.

"I don't want you dragging her into any danger. It would be best if you left without her knowing," Elmyra said to Cloud.

"Alright."

I grinned, knowing what to do. I then headed towards the guestroom to prepare a bed for him.

After dinner, I led Cloud upstairs. "There's your room," I said calmly.

Cloud nodded, walking towards his room.

"Oh, and Cloud?"

Cloud turned around to glance at me.

"Goodnight," I said, smiling as I walked down the stairs.

*

That night, I quietly waited at my door for Cloud to leave. It took a moment until I heard soft footsteps walk out towards the stairs and out through the door.

I grinned, grabbing my metal staff. Walking silently as ever, I peeped through Elmyra's bedroom and gave her a sweet smile, knowing I would probably never see her again. I then left her room, and ran out the back door, into a shortcut. There, I met Cloud.

Cloud looked at me, startled. "Aeris, what are doing here?"

I smiled. "You want to find Tifa don't you? C'mon, I'll lead you to where she went," I said running off without him.

"But…Aeris, wait!" Cloud cried out after me. 


	3. 

Chapter 3

I made an abrupt stop as I entered Wall Market. I looked around for a moment, and then turned around to glance at Cloud.

He panted as he finally caught up with me. He glanced at the place in shock. "Aeris, do you know what they could do to you here?"

I grinned as he caught his breath. "C'mon, Cloud. You don't want Tifa waiting forever, do you?" I said walking towards Don Corneo's mansion. "Excuse me," I said to the guard blocking. "Um…did you see a cute girl come this way?"

The guard looked at me and smiled. "Hell yeah. She's in here, in Corneo's Mansion. Only women allowed though. Corneo's not into men," he said looking at Cloud.

I winked. "Can you wait for a moment? I'll be right back with a really cute friend with me," I said pulling Cloud's arm.

"What are you doing?" he demanded. "Let go of me, I'm gonna get Tifa myself."

I began to giggle. "Don't be so worried, Cloud. Besides, that Corneo guy isn't interested in men…so…" I couldn't finish my sentence, as I was overcome by giggles.

"But, Aeris, do you know what happens to young women at a place like this? Busting in would create a big commotion. But I don't want you going there alone…What's so funny?" Cloud asked, finally realizing my outburst of giggles.

I gasped for air, trying to stop laughing. "If you're so worried, you'll have to dress up as a girl," I finally said, following with more giggles.

Cloud's face dropped. "Me?! Aeris, are you crazy? There's no way I'm doing it!" he snapped with embarrassment.

I shrugged. "Alright, be that way. Then I'll just have to go myself," I said heading towards Don Corneo's mansion.

Cloud grasped my arm tightly. "You are _not going in there alone. You have no idea what will happen to you if you go there alone," he scolded harshly._

I grinned. "Well then, we'll just have to find a way to make you beautiful," I said walking towards the dress shop.

Cloud groaned, and followed me. "I'm not going to like this. I'm not a cross–dresser. I don't do these things," he muttered to me.

I rolled my eyes and went to the counter. "Hey, you over there. Yeah you, I'd like you to make a dress for a friend of mine," I said to the man at the counter.

The man shrugged. "I can't."

Cloud frowned. "Why not?"

"I don't make clothes for men. And besides, it's my father who does the work, not me. He's over by at the restaurant if you're looking for him. Try and convince him for me if you could," he said.

I tugged on Cloud's arm. "C'mon, you're so slow," I growled walking out of the store without him.

We headed towards the restaurant, searching for the man's father. I spotted a man by the door, staring sulkily into his beer can. "Cloud, isn't that him?" I asked pointing at the man.

Cloud shrugged. "I guess. Let's go ask."

"Excuse me, sir," I said interrupting the man's thoughts. "Hi. Um, are you the dressmaker's father?" I asked politely.

The man looked at me. "Yeah, I am. But I'm not your father," he said to me.

"I didn't say that. I would like you to make a really cute dress for my friend. You see, he's always said that he wanted to feel like a woman for once before he died," I said, making up an excuse.

The man studied Cloud carefully. He then sighed. "Alright. But first I need to ask him what kind of dress he wants."

Cloud thought for a moment. "Uh…something's that soft and that shimmers," he answered hesitantly.

The man nodded. "Alright. I'll be at the dress shop if you need me. Why don't you two go look around for a while? Oh, if he wants to be a woman, then I suggest that he change his, uh, hairstyle."

Cloud looked up at his hair and frowned. "What's wrong with my hair?"

"A lot of things," I said dragging him towards a tent where they gave away wigs.

A muscular man came up to us and challenged Cloud to a squatting tournament. If Cloud could beat the man, then Cloud would win a wig.

I stood at the side and watched carefully. I smiled to myself as Cloud won the match.

Cloud just shrugged, and handed me a blonde wig.

I then led Cloud to the Honey Bee Inn, where Cloud's nightmare came true. As I waited outside, I heard Cloud shriek as girls began to put make-up on his face. When he came out, I hardly recognized him because of his "pretty" face.

After making one more stop for perfume and a tiara, Cloud and I finally made it back to the dress shop.

The man smiled at us. "Ah, you're back. That's good. Here, I just finished making it," he said handing a silk dress to Cloud. "I hope it suits you."

Cloud reluctantly took the dress from his hands and headed for the dressing room. "Uh…how do you put this on?" he asked me in a muffled voice.

I peeked through the curtains and saw him staring at it.

"Whoa what are you doing?"

I rolled my eyes and looked around the store. I waited patiently for Cloud to finish dressing up. The clock loudly and annoyingly ticked by, giving me a headache. I began to pace on the floor as I waited. After a long moment, Cloud finally emerged from the dressing room. I had a shocked expression on my face. "Cloud?! You look so _cute!!" I said admiring Cloud's "beauty"._

He had on a purple dress and a cute, blonde wig to match with it. His tiara glinted proudly as the lights bounced off it.

Cloud glared at me. "Shut up," he growled.

I looked around the shop again. "I think I'd like to get a dress also," I decided.

"Here, try this one!"

"No, this one!"

"How about this one right here?"

I shook my head to all the suggestions. I walked towards a rail full of hangers, and picked out a red, velvet dress. The rimming at the top was white, and there was a beautiful rose at the very middle. "I'll take this one," I said walking towards the dressing room. I popped my head back out before I closed the curtains. "No peeking!" I snapped closing the curtain behind me.

I easily slipped the dress on me, and loosened my braid into a ponytail. I then emerged from the dressing room, folding my other clothes, and tucking it inside my dress.

Cloud's jaw dropped as he saw me.

I frowned. "It's not polite to stare. And girls shouldn't keep their feet apart like that. Now, head up, and walk gracefully, _Miss_ Cloud," I said walking in front of him.

Cloud sighed grumbling to himself, "How did I ever get in this mess?"

"Pretty girls shouldn't have manly voices either," I grumbled.

Cloud glared at me and said in a high-pitched voice, "Well _excuse _me!"

I walked back to the guard blocking our entrance to the mansion.

The guard's jaw dropped, as he saw the sight of me.

"Hey, I'm back from before. And here's my cute little friend," I said pointing towards Cloud.

Cloud blushed, as the guard howled fascination. "Damn your friend's HOT!" he exclaimed. "Here, you can go in," he said walking out of our way.

Cloud walked in first, then I followed.

We headed towards a dark room. As Cloud entered the room, a beautiful girl spotted him. Cloud instantly looked away, beet red.

I looked at him curiously. I then looked at the girl. "Tifa?" I said, unsure of myself.

"Yeah, and who are you?" she asked looking at me awkwardly.

I walked up to her with a smile on my face. "I'm Aeris. Cloud told me about you. He's really worried about your safety," I said introducing myself.

"He did? So I guess you're a friend of his," she told me returning the smile.

I began to laugh. "Poor Cloud, just standing in the corner while we talk about him," I said while laughing.

Tifa frowned at me. "Cloud? Where?"

I walked to the side so Tifa could look at Cloud.

"Cloud!" Tifa said as she recognized him. "Oh my gosh! Cloud!" she exclaimed as he turned around and blushed. "What are you doing in a dress? You actually look cute!"

"Shut up," Cloud mumbled with embarrassment.

I watched as Tifa suddenly turned her happy face into a serious one. "What happened to you? How did you survive?"

I turned around, plugging my ears. "I'll leave _you two alone," I said with an evil grin on my face._

"W…w…what do you mean?!" she said bashfully. "Y…y…you must be mistaken. Cloud and I are just friends, nothing more!"

"Right," I said plugging my ears. But no matter how much I tried to block the sound out of my ears, I could hear their muffled voices.

"…I came here because I needed to find some things out about Shinra. I overheard some rumors about the Shinra dropping the sector seven plate. I wanted to find out if that was true," Tifa's muffled voice said.

After they both stopped talking, I let go of my ears. "I…uh…couldn't help overhearing, but I think your plan would probably work. You see, there are only three of us, and all three of us know what you want to do."

Tifa shook her head at me. "No, I couldn't allow that. It's too dangerous. I couldn't get you involved," she told me sternly.

"That's okay. I don't mind. Besides, I'm already involved in this. You can't ask me to back off now," I said convincingly.

Tifa thought for a moment. "Well, alright."

Before we could say anything more, a man interrupted us. "Girls, what are you doing down there? Come now, he's waiting."

All three of us formed a straight line going towards Don Corneo's chambers. When we got there, we formed a line in front of Don Corneo. Tifa was in the right side, Cloud in the middle, and me in the left side.

The fat pervert jumped out of his seat the minute he saw us. "Damn they're HOT! But I can only take one girl for the night." He got off the desk, and came towards us. He first looked closely at me, then at Tifa, and then at Cloud. He did that several times until he stopped at the very middle.

I gulped regrettably. _~What if he chose me? Then what am I going to do?~ I asked myself._

"I choose," he began. He then stuck out his foot at the left side, indicating me. "You, my pretty dear!"

I kept my face calm, as I walked towards him. But inside, I was about to scream as loud as I could.

Don looked at his little henchmen. "You can have the rest. They're both yours," he said taking my shoulder and leading me into his room.

He plopped himself onto his bed, while I sat on it with my back facing him. _~What am I going to do? What am I going to do?~ I thought in panic._

"You don't have to be shy with me, sweety," I heard Don's voice from behind me. "Why don't you come over here and gimmie a kiss."

"Not on your life," I muttered to myself.

"What was that, angel?"

"Uh…I said right you are," I lied with a big phony smile on my face.

Don frowned. "What's taking you so long? Come on, I can't wait for you forever. What's the matter, are you shy? Don't worry, I'll make the first move," he said coming closer to me.

I thought quickly. Swiftly turning around, I smiled at him. "No! I was…um…just warming up!" I said. _~Cloud, where are you? Tifa?~ I thought desperately._

Don grew impatient and was about to grab me to him. But just as he tried to do so, Cloud and Tifa burst through the door.

Don looked at them angrily. "What is going on here?!" he demanded forgetting about me.

"Shut up!" Cloud shouted going towards my side. "Aeris, are you alright?" he asked me.

I nodded with a sigh.

Tifa tossed me my metal staff with a grin. She then turned to Don. "Alright you perve! Answer me or else! If you don't…"

I put my right foot on his bed. "I'll tear you apart!"

Don's furious eyes changed to fear. "Oh please, don't hurt me. Please! I'll tell everything. Everything!"

Tifa's eyes were filled with fury. "Are the rumors true? Are the rumors of sector seven crashing true?" she demanded. "Talk! If you don't I'll smash you into pieces!"

Don backed away, beginning to sob. "Y…yes! But it wasn't my idea! I swear! It wasn't!" he cried out.

"So who's idea was it? Talk! If you don't…"

"I'll blow you up," Cloud said putting his right foot on Don's bed.

"It was…it was Heidegger from Shinra! He was the one who ordered me to do it! He paid me to do it! I swear!" he sobbed cowardly.

Cloud glanced at Tifa. "Alright, now that we've got it from his mouth, we have to warn the people at sector seven."

Tifa and I nodded, leaving Don's room. But before we could, Don stopped us.

"Just a second!"

"What?" Cloud said irritably.

"How do you think A guy like me would do after I've just blurted everything out to you like this?"

Cloud glared at him. "I don't give a s***," he answered.

"WRONG!!" Don pulled a lever next to him, making the floor under us give way.

I felt myself fall down, down, down…to a never-ending landing. Suddenly, I crashed onto the floor, in pain. I had no clue on where I fell, for when I crashed, I became unconscious.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"…Aeris, are you okay?" Tifa asked, nudging me at the side.

I slowly opened my eyes. My clothes were soaked from the wet, dirty floor. To make matters worse, my entire body felt numb from the cold. "Where are we?" I squeaked trying to get up. I flinched a little as a horrible smell entered my nostrils.

"I think we're in some kind of sewer," Cloud answered as he looked around.

I noticed that Cloud and Tifa had already changed into dry clothes. So I frowned as I took out the ones I had stuffed inside my dress. "I want to get out of this wet dress. So it would be nice if you guys turned around while I changed."

Cloud and Tifa nodded, turning around.

I hastily changed into my comfortable clothes and tied my wet hair into a braid. "Okay, should we go now?" I asked, finishing my braid.

Cloud looked around. "We have to get out of here. I think the exit's farther north," he said pointing north.

Tifa and I nodded. "Alright then, let's go," she said walking to where Cloud was pointing.

Suddenly, I heard a strange noise. I stopped for a moment and looked around. "W…what was that?" I asked, looking around.

Tifa and Cloud looked around also. Cloud drew out his sword from its sheath. "I don't know, but I know it's not good," he answered while keeping his eyes peeled.

Suddenly, Tifa shrieked as something grabbed her leg, and tried to drag her onto the floor. But she struggled away, somersaulting into the air. By doing so, the thing that grabbed her leg let go.

I drew out my staff, twirling it slowly at first. I walked closer to Cloud, unsure of what to do.

Then, before we could react to it, the monster attacked. It used its powers to summon a huge wave at us. But by doing so, it hurt itself.

I felt myself being thrown across the room and onto the wall. Despite my pains, I got up and began to focus my energy on my staff. As I did so, a strong wind began to blow in the air.

Cloud launched his sword swiftly at the monster, while Tifa did her limit break. After Tifa was done with her limit break, she then threw her fists of fury at the monster, not giving him a chance to attack.

But the monster soon recovered, and attacked the two of them at once.

Placing my staff onto the air, it began to float mysteriously. Then, I suddenly did my limit break. I casted Healing Wind at Cloud, Tifa, and myself.

Cloud then used his Fire Materia at the monster, finishing it off.

I gasped for air as I leaned on my staff. I was usually exhausted when I used my powers.

Tifa shivered. "C'mon, let's get out of here. This place gives me the creeps," she told us, walking faster than before.

Cloud and I followed her. We then climbed up and out of the sewer. This led us to the Train Graveyard. The Train Graveyard was a place full of broken or no longer used trains on old tracks. Ghosts and monsters haunted them.

I shivered as I walked through this place. _Elmyra had warned me about not going here. But did I listen? Noooo! I never do,_ I thought sulkily to myself as I walked. I covered my nose, as I smelled something foul in the air.

The three of us walked in silence. We continued walking until we were at the sector seven-plate support. There was a big commotion going on. Gunshot firings were heard from the huge tower above us.

Suddenly, a chubby man fell from the top. He landed onto the floor right in front of us.

I ran towards him, and bent down to see if I could help. I surge of pity suddenly overflowed through me. I felt the chubby man's pulse, and shook my head sadly. He was going to die whether I healed him or not.

Tifa glanced at me. "Aeris!" I looked over at her. "I have a bar down in sector seven. You can't miss it! There's a little girl there!"

I nodded, knowing what I had to do. I ran towards sector seven as fast as I could. As I spotted Tifa's bar, I flung myself inside and saw a cute little girl in front of the counter.

"May I help you?" she asked as she saw me coming towards her.

"Hey, it's not safe here anymore," I said taking her hand. "I need you to come with me now. A friend of yours told me to get you here."

She frowned at me, grabbing her hand away. "Daddy says that you should never go with someone you don't know," she told me.

"Listen, I may not know your dad, but I know Tifa. And I know that she's the owner of the bar here. She asked me to take you someplace that's safe. The plate ere is going to crash soon," I explained in a rush.

The girl looked fearful, and took my hand. She nodded at me, and so I led her towards my house at sector six.

I ran towards my house and threw open the door. I saw Elmyra giving me a startled look as she saw me. But I pushed her aside with the girl and ran towards the stairs. "Sorry, mom, I'd love to sit and chat, but I can't right now!" I said as I ran. I quickly hurried into the bathroom, took a quick shower, got dressed, and then grabbed my staff. I ran downstairs and headed towards the door, but someone blocked my way.

Two Turks and a lot of Shinra soldiers pointed their guns at me. One of them, one who I had recognized all my life, came up to me.

"Tseng," I said as I saw him.

Tseng came towards me calmly. "Aeris, I finally have you. President Shinra will be most pleased," he said with a cold smile on his lips.

"What is going on here!" Elmyra demanded angrily.

Tseng put a hand up to stop her. "I wouldn't move if I were you," he warned as some Shinra soldiers loaded their guns.

I said nothing, but glanced at Elmyra and Marlene who were sitting in a chair in fright. I then glanced at the backdoor.

Tseng laughed as he saw me looking for an escape. "Don't even think of it. There are more Shinra soldiers waiting for you out there. Even if you _did_ get out somehow, we'd still have your two friends here hostage."

My eyes hardened into a glare. How I wished I could blow him up. But I was powerless to do anything. Loosening my grip on my staff, I slowly walked towards Tseng.

"Aeris…" Elmyra began.

I glanced at her and shook my head. "It's all right. Don't worry, I'll be fine." I walked towards Tseng, who shoved me onto a helicopter. I gave Elmyra one last smile. "Everything's going to be alright!" I called out to her.

Elmyra looked at me, trying to be brave. But as I looked back at her, I knew. I knew that deep down inside, she was deeply hurt.

I watched her and my house fade as the helicopter flew away towards the very top of the sector seven plate support. There I saw Tifa, Cloud, and another guy watching as Reno hopped on board.

I smiled at them all. "It's all right, she's safe!" I cried out to Tifa.

Tseng slapped me hard across the cheek. "Shut up," he snarled.

I flinched at the impact. My cheeks stung, and were now a deep red. Tears began to form in my eyes as I felt the sting on my cheek. But I forced them away as I watched Tifa, Cloud, and everyone else disappear. Suddenly, I saw a huge explosion coming from sector seven. I watched as sector seven crashed down with everyone still in there. "CLOUD!!! TIFA!!!!!!!!!!!" I cried out in distress.

"Shut up!" Tseng snapped slapping my other cheek.

I fell to the floor sobbing in pain and in grief. _I've lost everything. _Everything_!_ I thought lying on the helicopter's floor. I closed my eyes, letting the tears stream down my face. My body felt limp. I didn't care. I didn't care anymore, whether if I died or lived.

As the helicopter landed in front of Shinra Building, I felt myself being pulled onto my feet. I was then pushed off the helicopter with my hands tied up in front of me. Slowly I walked towards the building and into a lab where Tseng shoved me into a huge tube–looking cage. The walls were made of bulletproof glass, so it was unbreakable.

I stumbled onto the cold floor with a hard shove. I didn't bother getting up. I just stayed there in my lifeless form.

* * *

After awhile, I finally woke up from my little sleep. But I had not bothered to move. I was aware of the stares from a mad man named Hojo.

He looked at me as if I were some kind of animal inside a zoo.

I didn't give him any satisfaction. I just stayed the way I was.

My plan must have worked. For after a long moment, he left with a face full of disappointment. But in his place were the Turks, not including Tseng.

One of the Turks, a woman, tapped on the glass softly.

I glanced at the Turk, not bothering to get up. After a moment, I looked away and curled myself into ball.

I heard the Turk sigh frustratingly. She opened the door to my "prison" and stepped in, followed by Reno and the other one I had not recognized.

"Hey, I know you're awake. I suggest you get up and eat. Professor Hojo doesn't want his specimens to die out on him before he has experimented on them," the woman said carrying a tray.

I opened my eyes but didn't bother to look at them. "What do you want from me?" I asked softly.

Reno grinned. "You're very lucky. It seems the old doc's taken interest in you and wants to study you for some time."

"I see…" I closed my eyes, ignoring the Turks.

Elena frowned. She slowly placed the tray in front of me. After she was done, she and the others left my cell.

I stared at the food Elena had given me. I pushed it aside despite my hunger. I didn't want anything to do with them. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **Yes, after several years of no show, I've finally decided to put up chapter 5. I'm notreally pleased with it, but I've editted slightly. Also, about the upcoming chapters, I'm sorry to say that it's taking me a little longer than I would like, since I'm playing the game as I write up this fic. Now, the problem is that I don't have the game, and my friend won't lend it to me. So it might be a while until I update the next chapter. Sorry, guys!

* * *

**Chapter 5**

I began to dream again. I dreamt that I was in a forest. It was dark, and the woods were filled with fog. Scents of timber and evergreen reached my nose.

"Hello?" I called out, hoping to find some response to my call.

None came.

Again I moved through the thick trees, bushing the low branches aside. Everything was so quiet. Nothing stirred. Not even the trees seemed to rustle at my touch.

Suddenly, there, out of the corner of my eyes, something moved. It was subtle at first, but it soon grew to a rough tug against the branches. Someone was there!

"Hello?" I asked hesitantly, approaching the movement. "Excuse me! Hello?"

It was then that _he_ emerged. Coated with leaves in his hair, a slightly aggravated look on his face. It was…

"Aeris!"

I gave a soft moan and stirred awake from my sleep. Rubbing my temples gently, I began to hear an urgent pounding sound. Was I still dreaming?

"Aeris!"

"Cloud!" I exclaimed, both relieved and startled at the same time. Immediately, I craned my neck over and glanced behind me. "Tifa! How did you–"

"So, that's her name," a voice from the shadows interrupted. There came a triumphant laugh, and a finicky man in a lab coat emerged. It was Hojo, grease and all.

Cloud drew out his sword as Tifa turned around as well. "Get her out of there," he told her before focusing all his attention on the creepy scientist.

Hojo laughed cruelly. I couldn't help but feel shivers running down my spine as I heard it. "Temper, temper. There's no need to be alarmed. I'm only experimenting this specimen with another one," he said, signaling someone at the control room.

Suddenly, a panel in my cell rose up, and a gigantic creature emerged from the floor. It was ferocious looking and looked as if he hadn't had a meal in weeks.

Oh, God, I thought to myself, pressing my back against the glass. Was I going to be this monster's meal?

Suddenly, without warning, the creature unleashes itself from its confinements and headed straight for me. I stumbled back, completely pressed against the glass wall. Quickly, I lunged over to my side, avoiding the creature's claws before they could reach me. I was safe for a second. But not for long…

Again the creature turned towards me, baring its teeth hungrily as it shifted its footing. Again it pounced on me, and this time, I could do nothing but scream.

"EYA–" I stopped myself in mid-scream and slowly opened my eyes. Nothing happened! I was still alive!

"What's going on?" I murmured quietly to myself, peering at my surroundings. The creature was still in front of me, but its attention seemed to have been diverted. The windows became completely foggy, and there was no way to see through them. Something was happening. But what?

For a moment I thought there was simply a momentary glitch in the system holding me prison, distracting the monster for a short moment. But I was immediately proved wrong as my cell doors sprung open, along with the raging beast.

"GYAAAHH!" came a piercing shriek as the creature leaped out of the cell.

Gathering my wits about me, I hurried over to see what the commotion was all about, and the knot in my stomach untwisted. I wasn't the creature's next meal. Hojo was!

"AAAAAAAH!" Hojo shrieked as the beast tackled him. With a ferocious cry, the mad scientist kicked at the beast and ran away from its clutches.

It was then that Cloud walked into the cell, helping me get to my feet. Without a word, he knew I had been untouched, and he quickly diverted his attention back to a fleeing Hojo.

The beast looked at me innocently as I finally stepped out of the cell. It was a strange sight. Moments ago, he had been a ferocious thing. Now he somehow looked tame. _Calm_, I suppose. "He's powerful. I can assist you," I heard it say from its own mouth.

Tifa's eyes bulged out in surprise. She had heard the voice, too. "Wah! It talked?" she exclaimed in shock.

The creature turned its head towards Tifa and gave a small nod. "I'll talk as much as you want later, miss," it replied, moving up to all fours. "But right now, we have to settle a few things."

Cloud nodded in agreement, knowing it was no time for idle chatter. "We'll take care of the monster," he said, taking out his sword. "Tifa, I'm counting on you to take Aeris somewhere safe. Don't get caught."

"We won't," Tifa replied, giving a brief nod before grabbing my hand. With a reassuring squeeze, she shot me a tiny glance and took off towards the elevator, taking me away from the fighting.

For many minutes, the two of us did not speak, afraid the Shinra guards would hear us. Instead, I followed Tifa as she ran in random directions, trying to find the elevator out of here.

Suddenly, a thunder of footsteps approached, and I knew that was a sign for trouble. Tugging at Tifa's shoulders, I gestured over to a nearby storage room and suggested that we hide in there for the time being. Even if someone _did_ enter the room, we would be completely hidden from all the boxes they kept inside.

As we ducked into our hiding place, Tifa finally shot me a look of concern. "Are you okay? You look so pale," she told me with a frown.

I looked at my wrist. "Oh…I'm fine. I'm just a little tired, that's all," I answered, starting to cheer up. "By the way, how did you guys escape? I saw the sector seven plate support blow up. _And_ I saw sector seven crashing down," I said, trying not to remember hearing the terrified screams from the crashing plate.

Tifa's eyes looked glassy, but she shed no tears. Still, the topic must have been very difficult for her, for it took her a long moment before finally giving a reply. "Cloud, Barret, and I tried to defuse the bomb, but…it was too late. Luckily, we found a wire that swung us out of sector seven before it crashed," she answered.

"And…the others?" I asked softly even though I knew what the answer was going to be in the end.

Tifa shook her head. "They were still there when the plate crashed. We were the only survivors," she said sadly.

"I'm sorry," I whispered silently.

And that was the end of our conversation. Tifa said nothing more afterwards, and I was left to wait there with her in complete silence. Within twenty minutes, the two of us peered out of our hiding place and snuck out of the room. There were no soldiers there.

With a sigh of relief, I clutched at my chest and gave a feeble smile. I was free. I was going to get out…

Never mind.

Around the corner, a dozen soldiers pointed their guns our way. Another dozen circled us from behind. We were trapped.

Tifa looked around for any means of escape. But her next two words doomed us both.

"Oh no!" she muttered under her breath.

Oh no, was right. It wasn't long until a large, round man came forward, dressed in dark green garb. "I am Heidegger, chief associate of the military organization known as the Turks. It gives me great honor to bring you two back to President Shinra. He would be most pleased," he said as he walked by. "Tie them up. Bring the Ancient to the prisons. This one," he said pushing Tifa towards the soldiers, "will meet with the president."

Tifa looked at me worriedly. "Aeris…"

Even in a time of crisis, Tifa worried about me instead of herself. Never in my life was I so grateful. Managing to smile weakly, I gave her the tiniest of nods and replied, "Don't worry about me. I'll be okay. They wouldn't dare hurt me." I was then dragged away by three Shinra soldiers up towards a prison.

They opened up the bars of the cell and shoved me in. After I was inside, they locked my cell and left with the keys.

I gave a loud sigh and sat on the bed. Lying down, I waited for sleep to claim me.

* * *

"Cloud, are you there?" I asked, opening my eyes slowly. I don't exactly know what force drove me to utter those words as I awoke alone in the dark prison. 

"Aeris? You're safe?" Cloud answered back in surprise.

My heart sank with relief. He was captured as well. But he was alive!

"Yeah," I answered softly, "I'm fine." I smiled to myself for apparently nothing. "I knew that you guys would come for me."

"Hey, that's what bodyguards are for, right?" he asked me knowingly.

"Oh. The deal was for one date, right?" I asked curiously. I brushed away my messy hair from my face as I lowered my voice.

Suddenly, I heard another voice coming from Cloud's cell. "…Oh, I get it," the familiar voice said quietly.

I gasped in surprise. Leave it me to say something stupid in such an awkward moment. "T-Tifa!" I stammered in embarrassment. I didn't mean to offend her. "Tifa, you're in there too!" I asked in shock.

"EXCUSE me," Tifa retorted, shifting herself off the bed. I could tell she was slightly annoyed. "Um…Hey, Aeris, I have a question," she asked, changing the subject.

I sighed with relief, thankful for a different topic to reply to. "Yeah?" I asked curiously.

Tifa paused before she said anything else. I suppose she was thinking of how to break the question to me. "Does the Promised Land really exist?" she finally asked in a low hushed voice.

I thought for a moment, thinking of what to say. No one had ever asked me that question before. But then again, no one really knew about it. "…I don't know," I answered honestly. "All that I know of is that the Cetra were born from the Planet, can speak with the Planet, and can unlock the Planet. And…then…umm…The Cetra will return to the Promised Land. A land that promises supreme happiness. Or that's what I was told."

"But what do you suppose it all means?" Tifa asked, wanting to know more.

I shook my head reluctantly. "More than what I can describe…I don't know," I answered truthfully.

"Speak with the Planet?" Cloud said in a puzzled voice.

"What does the Planet say?" Tifa added.

"It's full of people and noise. So I can't make out what they are saying," I replied, deep in thought.

"Can you hear it now?" Cloud asked.

"I…" I began hesitantly. "…I only heard it at the church I go to often. Mother said that Midgar was no longer safe. That is…my real mother." I sat down on the bed and looked at the ceiling. "Someday I'll get out of Midgar…speak with the Planet…and find _my_ Promised Land…At least that's what mom said. I thought I would stop hearing her voice as I grew up, but…" My voice broke off without finishing its sentence. I didn't want to talk about my mother. The thought was too depressing.

I lay back down on the bed and closed my eyes. It was the only thing I could do.

* * *

"Aeris, wake up!" I heard Tifa's voice say. 

I slowly opened my eyes in curiosity. I could've sworn I heard her voice right beside me. But that was impossible, unless…"Tifa? How…" I began in confusion, seeing her just over my bed.

Tifa shook her head. "Something's up. C'mon," she told me, helping me off the mattress.

Without a word, I followed her out of my cell, a foul odor reaching my nostrils. As he made it a few steps out of the prison door, I immediately knew where the terrible stench came from.

There was a dead man at the corner of the hall. He had been stabbed and then hacked into pieces, with his blood spilling all over the floor.

The sight of him made me sick, and I immediately turned away. Even if he was part of Shinra, I couldn't bare to look into those lifeless eyes. At the time, I didn't know which was worse. His horrid face twisted into a terrified scream, or the amount of blood that now surrounded him. In the end, all I could do was gasp and shiver in fright.

Within a few minutes, more of Cloud's gang had stumbled upon the site. The man named Barret swore loudly as he approached the bloody man, and he quickly shooed us away from the area, saying that he would clean up the mess in case anyone else were to see it.

_That_ I couldn't argue with, although, it _did_ leave a sickening feeling in my gut. Still, this was no time for being sick. Instead, I nodded my head along with Cloud and Tifa, agreeing to follow the large, red beast out of the hall. (I later learned that the creature was called Red XIII, and that he wasn't as bad as you would think. But that's enough of that.)

"Follow me," Red XIII said, leading us through a number of places.

As we hurried along the corridors, I fought the urge to look down at my feet. Earlier, I had made the mistake to do so, and I was greeted with a heavy trail of blood. I knew I wasn't going to be able to sleep in a very long time.

There was complete silence as we made our way through the floor. It was an eerie feeling, as if we were the only ones left in the world. Something was wrong, that was for sure.

"Oh my God!" I heard Tifa gasp right in front of me as we came to a sudden halt. Immediately, I knew something had gone terribly wrong.

Craning my neck to the side, I peeked behind Tifa's shoulder to see what lay before us. That was a mistake. "Oh, God…!" That was enough for me, and without another word, I ran off to the side and vomited, no longer able to hold in my disgust.

There had been a pool of blood, a massive pool just outside some sort of container. Later I would learn from Cloud that it had held some specimen known as JENOVA. Where the specimen was, I didn't want to know at the time.

A gentle pat brushed against my back, and Tifa tugged urgently on my hand. "Come on," she whispered softly, almost fearfully. "We have to get going."

With a nod, I stood up straight and followed the rest of the group to the next floor. As we passed by the pool of blood, I squeezed my eyes shut and wouldn't open them until I knew we were out of that room.

"Cloud, where are we going?" I heard Tifa ask softly as we climbed up the steps.

Cloud did not give a reply at once. Instead, his eyes were fixed on the trail of blood, as if it were leading us somewhere. Finally, he looked up at Tifa and shrugged. "Who knows for sure, but whoever's done this was probably…" His voice trailed off as we made our destination.

He didn't need to finish what he was saying. The scene before us was answer enough.

The trail of blood had led us to the president's headquarters, and source for all the blood was staring straight at us from the president's back.

"Murder," I heard Tifa gasp as we both noticed the sword protruding from the dead man's spine.

Barret, who had caught up with us a few minutes ago, slowly approached the president's desk, his hand trembling. "He's dead…The leader of Shinra, Inc. is dead…" he said quietly.

I gaped at the body, speechless. _Who could have done this?_ I silently thought to myself.

Tifa ran towards the president, taking a closer look at the sword. As I watched her, Tifa's eyes widened with fear, and she shot Cloud a frightened look. "Then this sword must be…?" she began. She covered her mouth as she stared back at the sword, her eyes filled with a great heat of intensity.

"Sephirtoh's!" Cloud continued, just as surprised as Tifa.

Tifa gasped with wide eyes opened. She quickly backed away in fright, shaking her head to herself. "Sephiroth is alive? But how could that be?" she whispered in a low voice.

_Sephiroth…?_ I thought to myself in bewilderment.

Cloud nodded. "Looks like it. Only Sephiroth could wield that sword," he answered reluctantly.

"Who cares who did it?" Barret cried out suddenly. "This is the end of the Shinra now!"

Suddenly, a plump old man stumbled out from behind the president's desk . "Ugh!" he cried out, absolutely terrified. As he tried to scamper out of the room, Cloud and Barret quickly blocked his way, stopping him before he could escape.

"P…p…p…please, don't hurt me!" he stuttered, trying to wriggle himself free of Cloud's and Barret's grasp.

Cloud threw the man back down. "What happened?" he demanded.

"Se…Sephiroth came!" the man cried out.

From that moment, I noticed Cloud's eyes light up, almost with a sense of fury. "You saw him? You saw Sephiroth?" he asked eagerly.

The man turned paler, and he began to shake tremendously. As he spoke, his words flew out of his mouth fast and almost inaudibly. "Yeah, I saw him. I saw him with my own eyes."

"You really saw him?" Cloud asked again.

From then on, I couldn't make out the look in Cloud's Mako eyes. I guessed they were something about shock mixed with concern. But I couldn't be too sure.

"Ugh!" Palmer cried out in frustration. "Would I lie to you at a time like this! I heard his voice too! He was saying something about not letting us have the Promised Land," he yelled, his voice booming with desperation. With a terrified scream, he pushed Cloud and Barret aside and dashed out of the building before we could come after him.

Tifa held a puzzled look on her face as I glanced at her. "Does that mean that the Promised Land really exists and that Sephiroth's here to save it from Shinra?" she asked quietly.

"So he's a good guy then?" Barret suggested.

I heard Cloud scoff loudly. "Save the Promised Land? A good guy? No way!" Cloud retorted, almost bursting out into laughter. "He's not like that. I knew him! His mission's different!"

Suddenly, a helicopter flew towards us, interrupting our thoughts. As it landed, a young man dressed all in white came out, a smug look on his face.

Barret suddenly looked horrified. "Rufus! &#$! I forgot about him!" he cried out angrily.

Tifa peered out the window curiously, just like the rest of us. "Who's that?"

"Vice President Rufus, the President's son," he answered simply. He then ran off to the balcony, followed by the rest of us.

Rufus…Rufus…Yes. I've heard of that name before. It was a name mom told me to fear. "I've heard that no one's ever seen him bleed or cry…" I said to no one in particular.

As we headed towards the helicopter, the fat man was already there with Rufus. It appeared that they were in a deep conversation, with the man on his knees, bursting out into tears, and Tufus standing calmly, taking in all the details.

Rufus looked up from the conversation and glanced at us as we approached. He soon raised an eyebrow as he ignored the fat man's hysterical cries. "Who are you guys?" he asked in a smooth, silky voice.

"I'm Cloud, a former SOLDIER first class."

"I'm from AVALANCHE!

"A bar hostess in AVALANCHE."

"A flower girl from the slums," I said simply.

"A research specimen."

Rufus sighed and chuckled to himself. "Heh, what a crew," he sneered, turning his icy blue eyes towards us. "Well, I'm Rufus. The President of Shinra, Inc."

Barret glared at him. "You only President, 'cause yer old man died!" he snarled furiously.

Rufus ran his fingers though his hair and grinned cruelly. "That's correct. I'll let you hear my new appointment speech…" he began as he slowly circled around us, eyeing each and everyone of us with a calculating glare. "_Old man_ tried to control the world with money. It seems to have been working. The population thought that Shinra would protect them. 'Work at Shinra, get your pay. If a terrorist attacks, the Shinra Army will help you.' It looks perfect on the outside…"

As he passed by me, I could see a glimmer of cruelty in his eyes. I knew immediately that I disliked him.

"But, I do things differently. I'll control the world with fear. It takes too much to do it like my _old man_. A little fear will control the minds of the common people. There's no reason to waste money on them," he said arrogantly. After he finished his speech, he ran his fingers through his hair and flashed us with a devious grin.

Beside me, I spotted Tifa rolling her eyes. "Hmm…he likes to make speeches. Just like his father," she said, not very interested.

Cloud suddenly pointed his sword at Rufus. "Everyone get out of the building! Now!" he ordered, glaring at Rufus.

"What?" Barret asked.

"I'll explain later!" Cloud commanded.

"The hell's that supposed to mean?" Barret demanded.

"I'll tell you later! Just go! I'll go after I take care of him!" Coud shouted to the rest of us, his sword still pointed straight at Rufus.

"Awright, Cloud!" Barret responded, running towards the elevator.

Tifa, Red XIII, and I followed Barret. Suddenly, I stopped in my tracks. "Cloud…" I gasped. "I just realized something."

Tifa stopped me as I tried to turn back. She shook her head, and gently pushed me towards Barret and Red XIII. "I'll wait for Cloud. Everyone, get to the elevator!" she said, running back towards the stairs.

With a nod, I raced towards the elevator. Suggesting that we check our equipment first, I volunteered to use the Healing Materia, just in case someone or something would come to attack us.

Once that was done, Barret, Red XIII, and I headed off towards the elevator, ready for anything that would come to attack us. Little did we know, that our opponent would be on the second elevator on the other side.

Barret pushed me off to the back, and he and Red XIII pummeled the machine into dust. As a second one came, I spun my metal rod around and healed my two comrades, making sure they wouldn't be killed in the heat of battle. Within a few minutes, both druids sent to kill us were dead, and we were free to exit to the first floor.

With a sigh of relief, the three of us jumped out of the elevator, and headed for the lobby exit. But as we ran, I couldn't help but look back up the elevator. Cloud and Tifa were still up there. What if something terrible had happened to them?

_No time for that!_ I scolded myself, turning my attention back to the lobby doors. _Tifa said she'd back up Cloud. They should be fine!_

"I'll go on ahead!" Barret announced, running outside. But just as quickly as he had run out, he immediately came back inside as bullets followed him. "&#! We're surrounded!"

_Now what are we going to do?_ I thought, clenching my teeth together. We had to find another way to get out. There _had_ to be another way out.

"If I was alone, this wouldn't be a thing. But I gotta reputation to protect," Barret muttered.

Suddenly a crazy and foolish idea popped up in my head. But I wasn't quite thinking at the moment. "You all get out while you still can," I said. "It's me they're after."

Barret glanced at me and shot me a funny look. "Yeah, well that ain't happenin'. You got caught up in this over my daughter. Now it's my turn to watch out for you!" Suddenly, he ran towards the doors and fired his gun arm. "Playtime's over for you, jackasses!" he screamed, dodging the bullets fired towards him.

I gave weak smile. They weren't going to desert me after all. "…Thank you, Mr. Barret."

He glared at me. "Who you callin' Mr. Barret? That don't sound right!" he snapped.

And with that, I blushed slightly.

"Well then…" Red XIII butted in. "If you two are finished with your chatter, may I suggest that we think of a way to get out of here!"

Barret glanced at Red XIII. "Huh? Oh, yeah…You a cold man. Just like someone else 'round here I know," he said with a small chuckle.

I said nothing, not wanting to go into anyone else's business, but I was sure Barret was talking about Cloud in a way.

"Did you say something?" Red XIII asked coldly.

"Notta thing. So what're we gonna do?" Barret asked himself, looking puzzled.

"Barret!"

I turned around to see who was running up to us. I realized it was Tifa. My heart skipped a beat. Tifa was alright!

"Tifa! Where's Cloud?" Barret asked curiously.

Tifa shook her head. "Everyone over here!" she directed, running towards a car.

I followed her quickly, not bothering to ask any questions. I guess I was scared. I wasn't really sure because of the loud pounding of my heart.

Barret followed behind me. "Huh? What's up? Where's Cloud?" Barret asked again.

"I'll tell you later! Hurry, hurry!" Tifa scolded, grabbing the car door open.

I sat next to Tifa, not saying anything because of all of the excitement. I glanced behind me and saw Barret and Red jump onto the back. I then looked back in front of me and saw some lunatic riding a motorcycle down the stairs.

"C-Cloud?" I gasped, recognizing the spiky blond hair.

Tifa jammed her foot on the pedal, and took off behind Cloud.

Suddenly, Shinra soldiers came up behind us. They, too, were riding motorcycles.

I yelped as a soldier came close to our car. The soldier began to slam his motorcycle at us, forcing my head to bump into something hard. I felt my forehead and felt warm blood coming down. I didn't see what was happening next, for I closed my eyes, hoping the bumpy ride would be over soon.

Tifa cursed loudly as she pulled against the steering wheel.

As I opened my eyes, I noticed that the road had been incomplete, and that if we ran off the road, we'd be falling down to our deaths. "Tifa!"

"I got it," Tifa replied, trying not to panic.

"Holy shit! What the–"

"I _said_ I got it!" Tifa growled, swerving the car so abruptly that I slammed against the window.

After a split second, the car stopped immediately, causing my heart to skip a beat. I stared in front of me in shock as I tried to calm my breathing down for a bit. We were alive! Alive!

But not for long…

"Jesus! What the &$ is that thing!" Barret yelled over the noise approaching us.

Suddenly, Cloud emerged with his motorcycle, a dreadful look on his face.

As I squinted into the distance, I noticed that something was chasing him. Something large. No, something _massive_.

Cloud immediately jumped off the motorcycle and drew out his sword. "Get ready!" he yelled. "We've got company!"

Tifa nodded and moved over to Cloud's right, her fists ready for action. Barret and Red XII joined her, and I was left to the back, casting my healing spells and protective spells.

Red XIII gave a loud howl and charged at the giant machine, his entire body ablaze. As he crashed headlong into the machine, there came a loud rattle, and the machine immediately fell apart. It was destroyed.

With a sigh of relief, I sunk to my knees and clutched at my heart. We had escaped. We had escaped! And this time, I was right.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Bleeeeeh, I know the chapter kinda sucked. But like I said, I had this chapter written years ago, and I've tried to edit it as best as I could. Meh, tell me what you guys think. 


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